Partner Spotlight: RockstarINTEL
Each month we shout about one of our incredible partners. For February, we reached out to RockstarINTEL to discuss carving out a niche for new site owners.
Site development and blogging can be a pretty competitive field, especially within a niche as narrow as gaming. For new site owners, it can be daunting trying to set up a site around their passion when there may already be countless other similar sites competing for the same audience. Our Partner Spotlight, RockstarINTEL, shared their insight on building a site from the bottom up.
What drove you to create your website? Did you see a gap in the market for this type of website?
“We gained a large following on Twitter and thought we could bring them over to a website for long-form content. Red Dead Redemption 2 was coming out that year to enormous excitement, so the goal was to cover that title. There were a few other fan sites in the same community, but those tend to be fantastic resources and guides for GTA and Red Dead. We cover all news about Rockstar Games, big or small, which sets us apart.”
How has your audience impacted your experience as a site owner/gamer?
“As someone who took on the website with little experience in this field, it has been extremely helpful to receive feedback from readers. The feedback has ranged from site layout, features, accessibility, quality, and the type of news we cover. These have come in the form of comments on our articles, emails, and Tweets. There are a lot of different voices in the GTA and Red Dead communities which has really been helpful to get new perspectives when working in it.”
What’s one of your favorite aspects of managing your website?
“I really enjoy seeing our articles posted/being used as a source when I am randomly browsing Reddit, X, etc. This makes me realize how big our reach is. When writing an article, it’s easy to forget it could be read by many! It’s a nice surprise to see something you’ve worked on pop up unexpectedly and trust is put in us!”
What are you most proud of in regards to your website?
“I’d say it’s the great reputation we’ve built within the GTA and Rockstar Games community. People have placed trust in our coverage and content. This is down to the fact that we’ve been involved for over 10 years now and maintain a standard of reporting.”
Do you have any advice for website owners who are just starting out?
“Consistency is key whilst maintaining a good standard of content. It’s tough, especially at the start, within the gaming space but your voice can be heard. I’ve found from my experience in a few different gaming content ventures that consistency is the most important thing. This is not about overworking and posting daily but releasing new content at least a couple of times a week. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
“Plus, being extremely passionate about the niche you’re creating for is also important. I couldn’t create content about something I don’t have a lot of interest in or love for. We ran social media accounts and the website for many years without earning a penny. The work does not feel like work so much when you love it!”
For more information about all of the incredible partners we work with, check them out here. If you’re an existing partner who’d like to be featured in our Partner Spotlight, you can reach out to your Publisher Collective contact and express your interest. Want to get in on the action? Apply to become a partner here.